CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5324, 20 April 1878, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held on Thursday evening ; the Mayor presiding. There were present—Councillors Fisher, Hunter, Allan, Greenfield, Allen, Logan, Dixon, George, Maginity, Diver, and Macdonald. . CORRESPONDENCE. A list of the correspondence inwards and outwards since the last meeting was read. Included was a letter from Mr. Saunders, con- 1 tractor, who stated that he was prepared to make good any damage he may have done to Grant-road. The Mayor explained that the letter had been discussed by the Public Works Committee. Councillor Fisher considered the offerof Mr. Saunders a very fair one, and moved that it be accepted, which was agreed to. FINANCE REPORT. The following report was read : The Finance Committee beg to report, for the information of the Coancll, that they have hold several meetings for the purpose of investigating the present financial pssition of the Corporation, but as the complete accounts up to the end of the financial year have only just been completed and are now in the hands of the official auditors, they are unable to report fully upon the subject, and accordingly ask leave to postpone the preparation of a final report until the said accounts have been passed by the auditors and printed. - The committee recommend that arrears of rates (both general and water) which have been accumulating for the last five years, and amounting to £306 10s., be written off. These rates principally consist of rates on ministerial residences, not recoverable, on schools, fire brigades, and other properties remitted by the Council from time to time, and on many properties rated in error, not being within the prescribed distance from the mains. r ' The committee beg to urge upon the Council the necessity of striking the rates, both general and water rate, at as early a date as is compatible with the requirements of the Act, and regret that in the present state of the Corporation finances they are unable to recommend any reduction upon the present rates. As It will be absolutely necessary for the Council before long to take steps to obtain from the Legislature powers to borrow another considerable sum of money for the purpose of carrying but the various important public works contemplated, viz,, Te Aro reclamation, drainage, sewerage, increased wharf accommodation, Increased water supply, Ac., the committee would strongly urge upon the Council the advisability of obtaining the services of Mr. Clark in devising and laying out a scheme for a further water supply as a necessary adjunct to the drainage scheme which he is now elaborating; and as in all probability the sole control of the harbor will shortly be entrusted to the Council, the committee would further urge the advisability of asking Government to take advantage of Sir John Coode’s presence to consult with him as to the best means of obtaining the full benefit of the advantages offered by our noble harbor. Armed with the practical advice of two such eminent authorities the Council need have little hesitancy in approaching the Legislature with a well proposed scheme for the judicious expenditure of the loan they seek the means of raising, and without which it will be impossible to carry out the various public works which will be absolutely necessary to enable the Corporation to keep pace with the requirements of our rapidly Increasing city ami population. Councillor George moved that the report be adopted. Councillor AiLEH wished, before the report was adopted, to ask the intentions of the committee. Why did they wish Sir John Coode to report upon the harbor 1 Was there any obstruction in the harbor that required a report from so eminent an engineer ? Why should the Council go to the expense of bringing Sir John Coode here ? The Mayor said Sir John Coode was sure to come to Wellington. It would be advisable to have his opinion as to matters relating to the reclamation ; the construction of a dock, for instance. It did not appear that the committee contemplated any expense; but even if it should cost a small sum, the opportunity of having so eminent an engineer here should not be allowed to pass without taking his opinion; but it would be for the Council to decide. Councillor Hunter, as a member of the finance committee, thought it right to say that the accounts for the past year were only put before the committee on the previous afternoon, and it had been impossible for them to go into the very elaborate and detailed statements, or make any attempt to present to the Council a statement of its financial position. He might say that the accounts would show that what had been called the overdraft was something like £20,000, which the committee thought would probably be reduced by £SOOO, There was an amount, £2200, for the release of which an application had been made to the Commissioner of Sinking Ij'undn, and it would then go into the general revenue. He was of opinion that when they looked into the accounts for the last year or two it would be found that certain matters had not been charged to' the proper, account,, The committee bad as yet examined the accounts in a cursory way only, and the accountant had been engaged, with the auditors, and had not been able to give much attention to the members of the

committee who had drawn up the report. iNo doubt some amounts which had not been properly charged would have to be adjusted. As to the recommendations contained in ’the report, two questions were actually financial matters; that with reference to applying to Mr. Clark to look at the Waterworks,-and perhaps at the source from which we are deriving our present water supply, to see whether any improvement can be made in that direction. Next the visit of Sir John Coode. It was known that he had been sent for by the Government, and had been asked to report on various harbors. Wo had a very fine harbor, but there were many desirable matters it still licked. Surely when he was here he might be asked to examine our port, contrast it with other harbors he was acquainted with, and point out what would be. judicious or injudicious expenditure. It could not be said that there was anything like proper wharf accommodation, and there was no higher authority in such matters than Sir John Coode. If his advice cost them a considerable sum of money, even as much as £IOOO, it would be very well spent, and it would be little short of madness if they failed to take advantage of an opportunity that might not occur again for a longtime. The Finance Committee felt it to be their duty, as Mr. Clark was here and Sir JohnCoode would be here in a few days, to bring these matters under the notice of the Council. Next session they would have to ask; the Legislature for borrowing powers, and it would be necessary for them to show how the money would be expended. Councillors knew what happened last session owing to the want of proper plans and reports. They should get the best advice possible, so that they might show that the money proposed to be borrowed would be properly and judiciously expended. Report adopted.

CORPORATION BUILDINGS. Respecting the delay in completing the Corporation buildings, Mr. Brown, the builder, wrote stating that he did nut get possession of the ground until two months after the tender was accepted, and the letter went on to say:— ■Wellington, April 15, 1878. The glass. 320 z, as you are aware, could not be got in the colonies, the Public Works Committee refused to decide on it to you. According to the instructions (received from you I ordered it from England. That alone would prevent the work being finished in the specified time. The greatest loss to me and most vexatious delay was waiting for the cast-iron base. This work could not be done by one foundry in less than about eight months; there are about forty pieces, and they can only cast on an average one each per week. I kept three foundries constantly going with patterns, the Lion Foundry, the Phoenix, and Gilohristaucl Waters’. All had to make special boxes to cast them before they could start, also crane to lift them. Owing to this delay of the castings, the bricklayers could not proceed with their work, which they threw up, and went to the West Coast. Since then I have had great difficulty in getting bricklayers, having sent to Auckland. Christchurch, and Nelson. Owing to this cause I find that the' brickwork has cost some thirty per cent more than I receive for it. At present the brackets of the cornice are delaying the finish of the brickwork, as they require to be thoroughly dry before being used. In conclusion, I may say that there is and has been for some time a large staff of men at work at the building (about thirty), and all material for the work has been on the ground long before it was required. If you require any confirmation of this, X bog to refer you to your Inspector.

Councillor Fisher remarked that it would have been better had the report of the architect and builder been sent in at an earlier period. What allowance in point of time were they to make for this delay ? He thought it would he better for the future to have a limit fixed beyond which no excuses would be accepted.

Councillor Diver moved that the matter be referred to the Public Works Committee. Councillor Hunter observed that with regard to the site of the buildings it was an important matter, if it could be arranged, to:get a few feet of the ground belonging to the G - vei nment, so that the centre building would not encroach on laud which did not belong to the Corporation. It would merely increase the depth in one direction, so that the centre building would occupy part of this land. It would not be a very great concession for the Government to grant, and he was told that it would have a very material effect if they had the centre building deeper than it was at the two ends. The reports were referred to the Public Works Committee. INSPECTOR OF. NUISANCES. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances stated that he had inspected a great number of premises in crowded localities and had also passed certificates for numerous public vehicles. He reported that the Te Aro stream was made a receptacle for excreta and other foul matter. Councillor Fisher drew attention to the Tinakori stream, which, he said, was as bad as that at Te Aro. The report was referred to the Public Works Committee. WELLINGTON FIRE BRIGADE. The Mayor said he had just received intimation that a deputation from the Wellington Volunteer Fire Brigade was waitaing to have an interview with the Council. He thought it would have been much more convenient if these gentlemen had given notice beforehand. He was told there was a rule that deputations could not be received unless notice had been given. ! Councillor Hunter .suggested that ,as it might be an important matter the deputation had to speak upon the Council should content itself with hearing what they had to say, and reserve its consideration until afterwards. It was agreed that this course should be adopted, and Captain Whiteford with two others entered the Chamber. _

The Mayor having explained that the deputation was only being received on sufferance, Captain Whiteford said the object of the deputation was to bring before the. Council the heavy expenses of the brigade, and the want of assistance. They required £3OO per annum for their expenditure, and asked the Council to pay the expenses of the plant, &c. Councillor George proposed that Captain Whiteford be requested to put his statement in writing, showing what items he intended to charge against the £3OO a year. Councillor Diver seconded the motion. They could not discuss the matter at present without any data before them. The motion was carried, and the deputation withdrew.

WATER lESPEOTOR. The City Solicitor wrote advising the Council to appoint a properly qualified water inspector. BURGESS LIST. ' Thursday next was appointed as the day on which objections to the burgess list might be heard. TENDERS FOE SUPPLIES. ; The following tenders, submitted for acceptance by the Mayor, Town Clerk, and City Surveyor, have been adopted as follows: Timber—totara 15s. lOd and red pine 12s. per 100 ft,, Wm. Booth and Co. Street lamps, 245. each, John Irvine. Kerosene, 2s. 3d.; turpentine, 4s. fid. per gallon ; glasses, ss. fid,; burners, 17s. fid.; glasses for lamps (to size), 9s. per dozen ; paint (mixed), 7Jd. per lb., 1 Robt. Martin. Sperm candles, lOd. per lb.’; sundry iron goods, as per tender, E. W. Mills. Pipes, Hill and Forbury. The last two, for drain-pipes, were equal, and it was agreed, on the suggestion of the Mayor, that an order should be given to each, and that the final tender should be decided by the quality of the supply. : The Mayor said that the system of tenders appeared to be very satisfactory. In one case the tenders sent in were 50 per cent, less than material imported direct from Home. Mr. Taylor's tender of £2lO for the ereof tion of a cottage for the custodian of the Waterworks was accepted. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £2400 17s. 4d., which included the payment of salaries for the month, were passed for payment. Councillor Maginity asked a question with regard to the Inspector of Tramways. There was a clause in the Tramways Act which stated that the Council had power to appoint an inspector, whose salary had been paid by the company. ■ ' The HAYon'understood that tho inspector's salary had been paid fey the Corporation up to the present., , r , : ■ 1 : i Councillor Maginity inquired whether the Tramway Company had refunded the amount ? He had every reason to believe that the promoters repudiated this claim, and he thought instant demand should he made for the money.

The Mayor said he would makeit his’bneiness to inquire into the matter. I Councillor Fisher had been informed tjiat for a long, time the Tramway Company had not paid the accounts sent in to them,.butthey had promised to pay regularly afterwards, i Councillor Hunter was of opinion that if they made a careful investigation of the; accounts they would''find that-this, was one of, those items which ; had swelled ■ their over-, draft. Probably the amount was not very much, bqfc it was one of those instances cropping up day after day of the unfortunate management of the past. The discussion then dropped. ’ PUBLIC WORKS REPORT. The following report was submitted ; 1. That the rubbish depot at the kerosene store is now being covered in with earth taken from Martinstreet, and that the subject of the future disposal of rubbish is now -under consideration. 2. , That- the City Surveyor has been authorised to call for tenders for a custodian’s cottage at the Waterworks, at an estimated cost of £2OO. 1 3. 1 That several applications for new streets have been postponed for further consideration, and for legal advice from the City Solicitor. 4. That a petition has been received from the residents at Oriental Bay, praying that the leave for the erection of a patent slip in that locality may be rescinded. 5. That a small drain in Larobton-quay to Panama-street has been authorized at an estimated cost of £O. 0. That the extension of the water main to Wallace-street has been authorized at an estimated coat of £ls. 7. That the erection of a lamp iu Au-rora-terrace has been authorized. 8. That Mr. (J. Smith’s application for pavement in Cuba-street has been granted on the usual terms. 9. That leave has been granted to Messrs. Greenfield and Stewart to remove earth from Ellis-street for the purpose of. filling up Nelson street, under the supervision of the City Surveyor, 10. That the City Surveyor has been authorized to execute the necessary backing up of the tramway line along Lambton-quay, rendered necessary by the alteration of the levels authorized by the Corporation. 11. That sundry work in Wallace-street necessary for giving some of the residents access to their houses, has been-authorized at an estimated cost of -£ls.

The committee further recommend;—!. That the water main be extended as far as town acre 743, in Adelaide-read. 2.- That on and after the Ist July, 1678, all stands for coffee, fruit, or similar purposes, be liable to the- usual hawker’s license fee. 3. That the license fee for duly authorised plumbers be fixed at £3 3s. 4. That the report of the Reorganisation Committee, as to the'City Sumyoe’s siaffbe, at the requestor that gentleman, altered as follows:—Assistant Engineer, £400; Draughtsman and clerk, £225 ; Extra clerical assistance, £25 ; total £6OO. 5. That the request of the Government for an increased supply of water to the Lunatic Asylum, for fire prevention purposes, be acceded to ; the estimated cost of same, £375, being defrayed by Government. C. That portion of the creek on the Adelaide-read, opposite the tramway station, he covered in at an estimated cost of £6O, the City Surveyor having reported as to its present dangerous condition. 7 That accounts amountifi’g to £I2BB 4s. Bd. be passed for payment.

With reference to clause 10 Councillor Fisher said another unfortunate thing they had had to deplore for some time past was the tramway. The Tramway Company was an old man of the sea on the city, an incubus that would necessitate a constant drain on its resources. They had already destroyed one street.

Councillor Allan looked upon it as a misfortune that the Corporation consented to the street levels being altered. Councillor Maginity said he had been laughed at for saying that this tramway would become a costly burden to the city. The finger of scorn was pointed at him by one or two who had a large interest in the tramway; but his words had proved true, and he for one objected to the expenditure. Councillor Macdonald said he knew a little about the tramway, and could say that the proposal to raise the level of Lambton-quay came from the city authorities themselves, and the contractor was stopped in his work. The matter came before the Public Works Committee, and was debated at length. To say that the promoters reaped any benefit was to say what was not true, as in no instance had the promoters reaped a shilling from the day the line started until now. If the work proposed were not done now it would have to be done at some future time. If the streets were as good as they ought to have been these expenses would not have been rendered necessary. At this, stage it was a foolish thing to run down a work that would be productive of the greatest possible benefit to every ratepayer. It had raised the value of land in Wellington, and there was not a land sale advertisement but what had at the end of it—“ The tramway runs past the property.” Councillor Fisher : The auctioneers do that. ’ . i ~ Councillor Macdonald knew it to be impossible to convince some people. The promoters of the tramway had never asked a single shilling from the city, or benefited to the extent of a single shilling, nor did they want any help. > , The Mayor concurred that it was perfectly true the expenditure,had been sahctionedby the Corporation. The contractor had been consulted as the level of the streets, and they were only doing now what they would have had to have done at some other time. This expenditure had been caused in consequence of a decision of the Public Works Committee which had been approved of by the Council. : Councillor Macdonald, objected to Councillor Fisher being allowed to speak a second time, and the clause was agreed to.

Councillor Fished said clause 6 in the second part of the report dealt again with the inevitable Tramway Company. He was told that a gentleman living on the Adelaide- road, who owned several 1 Conveyances, made a bridge across the ereelc there, blit in its construction he had unfortunately used a piece - of timber belonging to the Tramway Company, and in the morning he found that his bridge had been demolished, and 'for two days he could not get his traps out. It was unprofitable for both parties to remain in hostility, so they agreed to get the Corporation to construct a bridge. The report was adopted as read. BANK ACCOUNT. Councillor Fished moved,—That the various banking institutions be invited to tender for the city banking account for the next three years. He had no doubt that the members of the Council had the welfare of the city so much at heart that the motion would be carried with the greatest unanimity. It had been stated that the arrangement under which the business of the Council was transacted with the Bank of New Zealand was most satisfactory to the Corporation'; but as he was unable to find any record of that arrangement, he was unable to say whether it was favorable or unfavorable. The Municipal Corporations Act told him that any : ratepayer had a right to know what the arrangements of the Corporation were, and there should be no secret or private understanding on any matters: in which the city was interested. He had gone to : some trouble to asoertain what the banking arrangements made by various public bodies were, and he had ascertained that they were much more liberal than the arrangements of the Bank of New Zealand with the city of Wellington. From what .had been said in the Council he gathered that the Council paid the Bank of New Zealand 7 per cent on an overdraft, and received 5J to 6 per cent on deposits. In September last the Council had £60,000 deposited with the bank at 5 and 5J per cent, and that was not at all a sufficient rate when banks paid 5J per cent on such small sums as £SO. Some concession ought to be made to the Council, who did so large a business with the bank. There was another point that ought to be taken into consideration. It was probable that before very long the; Council would have to go into the money market to obtain loans, at all events one for the Te Aro reclamation, and it was very desirable that any loan should bo raised as cheaply as possible. The £200,000 had not been floated on anything like reasonable terms, and it might have been raised much more cheaply if competition had been invited. From calculations he had made, he was sure that in the case of the £200,000 loan at least 12s. 6d. per £IOO was paid in excess of the amount that should have been paid. It would be very advantageous to have the Council's bank account tendered for, and when Councillors had the offers before them they would bo in a much better position to judge as to what were fair terms than they were at present. Ho i proposed the motion because ho believed it ; was better in all transactions , of . 0‘ public : body, to have the • greatest competition, in order that j the most > favorable , terms . might bo be obtained.! If the Council gave any bank their business for three years it would be an inducement to that'.bank to let the pity have, accommodation at a reduced rate, knowing that the Council turned rover a large amount of money annually. ThgJJank of New Zealand

was aware thatthe Corporation account was"’ a very valuable one, and was worth at least £4OOO a year. ’ ' j r Ckmucillor Allen thought that calling for tenders would give all the banks a fair chance, afld he would like to hear some reason against the motion, for there might be one. : i . The motion was negatived. After a very brief pause Councillor - FIBHER called for a division, and asked that the names should be taken down, but the Mayor ruled he was too late. ■ • WATER OFFICERS. ' f ' Councillor Allan moved,—That the Council do appoint an officer to hold the joint offices of water rate collector and water inspector, and, that all water used ior stables, &c., or Tor washing outside of buildings, or for watering gardens, be classed under the regulations for the use of water for machinery, &c.—The motion was negatived. TE ARO RECLAMATION. Councillor ALLAN , moved, —That all documentary evidence brought before the Te Aro Reclamation Committee, and bearing on :the question of the present actual value of the sea frontages to the owners of Te Aro foreshore acres, be laid before the Council, together with any documents establishing any prohibitory power vested in the said owners as against the city extension. The Mayor explained ’that there was no documentary evidence, and the motion was negatived. The Council then adjourned.